Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino | ESPN - April 8, 2023

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Sources: Shakur Stevenson, Shuichiro Yoshino finalizing April 8 fight

Shakur Stevenson and Shuichiro Yoshino are finalizing a deal for an April 8 fight on ESPN that is expected to determine a new mandatory challenger for the WBC lightweight title, sources told ESPN. No site has been finalized yet.

Stevenson, ESPN's No. 10 pound-for-pound boxer, was stripped of his two 130-pound titles after he failed to make weight for his September bout with Robson Conceicao, which Shakur won via unanimous decision.

Now, Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) will seek a title in a third weight class. The WBC ordered a title eliminator between Stevenson and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz, but the Mexican is choosing a different path. William Zepeda, who is coming off a dominant victory over Joseph Diaz Jr., was next in line but promoter Oscar De La Hoya tweeted that he passed on the fight because he needs "more exposure for Zepeda to create a super fight with Shakur."

George Kambosos, who lost his undisputed lightweight championship to Devin Haney last year, was next up in the rankings but declined the bout.

"I'm on well-deserved holidays with my kids, anticipating my return mid next year," Kambosos tweeted last month. " ... Full respect Shakur, I feel an end-of-year war coming in 2023."

"Third person turned me down and I haven't fought one fight at 135," Stevenson tweeted in December.

But now he has an opponent in Yoshino, a 31-year-old from Tokyo who's never fought outside Japan. Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs) is coming off two impressive victories: an 11th-round TKO over former 130-pound titleholder Masayuki Ito in April and a sixth-round KO of lightweight gatekeeper Masayoshi Nakatani in November.

Stevenson, a native of Newark, New Jersey, has barely lost a round since he turned pro following an Olympic silver medal run. After he captured a vacant featherweight title with a decision win over Joet Gonzalez in 2019, he went on to unify 130-pound belts with an April victory over Oscar Valdez.

And with a victory over Yoshino in April, Stevenson , 25, will be in line for a shot at Haney's four 135-pound titles. Haney is in talks to defend his undisputed lightweight championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko in May.

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[margaret thatcher]

shak's an excellent fighter, but needs to do a lot more than win alphabet titles for greatness

valdez was a nice win, but too much abc title fluff on his record

[gilgamesh]

He's trying to build up to fighting Tank I'd imagine. I'm sure Shakur is game for that fight now, but Tank is not game to fight anyone with a pulse, and it's probably gonna stay that way until they decide to cash him out.

As long as he remains a cash cow against no names, they'll milk him for all he's worth. Because he can't beat the names, and it's obvious.

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He's trying to build up to fighting Tank I'd imagine. I'm sure Shakur is game for that fight now, but Tank is not game to fight anyone with a pulse, and it's probably gonna stay that way until they decide to cash him out.

As long as he remains a cash cow against no names, they'll milk him for all he's worth. Because he can't beat the names, and it's obvious.

I reckon Tank, Haney and Stevenson will all fight each other at some point.

[gilgamesh]

He's trying to build up to fighting Tank I'd imagine. I'm sure Shakur is game for that fight now, but Tank is not game to fight anyone with a pulse, and it's probably gonna stay that way until they decide to cash him out.

As long as he remains a cash cow against no names, they'll milk him for all he's worth. Because he can't beat the names, and it's obvious.

I reckon Tank, Haney and Stevenson will all fight each other at some point.

I don't know if Tank will fight 'em both. He'll lose to whichever one comes first.

[daz74]

Shakur on Max on Boxing: wants to stay at Light Weight and reign as Undisputed !
After Yoshino wants Haney/Loma Winner then Tank ….

[Bandog]

At least hopefully we can see it as not a ppv. Shak needs the exposure. He is relatively still unknown, so will pay later dividends I think.

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This will likely be held at Prudential Center in Newark

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Keyshawn Davis vs. Emmanuel Tagoe on the undercard

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Fight confirmed!

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Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino Announced For April 8 At Prudential Center In Newark

Shakur Stevenson’s return to his hometown was officially announced Saturday.

As previously reported by Boxing Scene and other outlets, Stevenson’s fight against Japan’s Shuichiro Yoshino will take place April 8 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Their 12-round main event, which ESPN will televise, was revealed Saturday as part of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, a college basketball showcase hosted by actor Michael B. Jordan, star of the “Creed” franchise.

Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs), who will headline at his hometown arena for the third time, and Tokyo’s Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs) will square off in a WBC lightweight elimination match. Whoever wins will become the mandatory challenger for the victor between fully unified 135-pound champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) and former three-division champ Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs).

Stevenson, 25, is ranked third among the WBC’s lightweight contenders, two spots atop the fifth-ranked Yoshino.

This will mark the second straight fight in Newark for Stevenson. The skillful southpaw beat Brazil’s Robson Conceicao (17-2, 8 KOs) convincingly during their 12-round, 130-pound championship match September 23 at Prudential Center.

The WBC and WBO titles were only at stake for Conceicao because Stevenson came in overweight the previous day.

Yoshino, 31, has produced impressive back-to-back victories over fellow Japanese boxers to move up the WBC’s lightweight rankings.

In Yoshino’s most recent action, he knocked out Masayoshi Nakatani in the sixth round November 1 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The only prior losses for Nakatani (20-3, 14 KOs) came against former lightweight champions Teofimo Lopez (18-1, 13 KOs), who beat him by unanimous decision in their 12-round bout, and Lomachenko, who won by ninth-round technical knockout.

In his bout before he stopped Nakatani, Yoshino defeated former WBO junior lightweight champ Masayuki Ito (27-4-1, 15 KOs) by technical decision. Yoshino led Ito on all three scorecards (107-102, 107-102, 106-103) at the time their 12-round fight was halted in the 11th round due to Ito’s cut, which was caused by an accidental clash of heads and prevented Ito from continuing last April 9 at Saitama Super Arena.

ESPN’s tripleheader April 8 also will include a 10-round lightweight bout between top prospect Keyshawn Davis (7-0, 5 KOs), of Norfolk, Virginia, and Ghanian veteran Emmanuel Tagoe (32-2, 15 KOs). The Davis-Tagoe bout wasn’t officially announced Saturday.

Heavyweight knockout artist Jared Anderson will be showcased in ESPN’s co-feature April 8. An opponent for Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, has not yet been secured.

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[margaret thatcher]

stacked without showing us the opponents

anyway, shak's a great boxer, but he has a style where it's hard to get up for his fights unless the opponent is really good. yoshino is solid but not near the level that could make it interesting vs a boxer like shaky

tbh shak might beat everyone at 135 even, i hope he moves up and gets some more name fights rather than guys like yoshino. maybe they'll match him vs nava if nava beats valdez, but that would be a sure thing 12-0

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Jared Anderson To Fight George Arias In ESPN’s Stevenson-Yoshino Co-Feature 4/8 In Newark

Jared Anderson will face an undefeated opponent for just the second time as a pro when he returns to the ring April 8.

Boxing Scene has learned that George Arias has agreed to battle the emerging, hard-hitting heavyweight in a 10-round co-feature ESPN will broadcast that night from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Anderson-Arias will immediately precede a main event in which Newark native Shakur Stevenson and Japan’s Shuichiro Yoshino will square off in a 12-round WBC lightweight elimination match.

Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), who is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., will look to keep his knockout streak intact against Arias (18-0, 7 KOs), a native of the Dominican Republic who resides in the Bronx, New York. The 31-year-old Arias isn’t nearly as big a puncher as Anderson, but he has beaten undefeated fighters in three of his past four bouts.

Arias most recently edged Cleveland’s Alante Green (then 10-0-1) by split decision in an eight-rounder that took place June 10 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. In the bout before he beat Green, Arias defeated Philadelphia’s Cassius Chaney (then 21-0) by split decision in a 10-rounder that occurred in December 2021 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.

As for the 23-year-old Anderson, the punishing puncher from Toledo, Ohio obliterated durable veteran Jerry Forrest in his last bout.

Forrest attacked Anderson as soon as their 10-rounder began December 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Anderson withstood Forrest’s fast start, unloaded a barrage of damaging shots on him and later stopped Forrest in the second round.

Referee David Fields halted the action at 1:34 of the second round, when Forrest appeared to be out on his feet. Anderson became just the second opponent in Forrest’s 34-fight professional career to beat him by knockout.

Prior to his loss to Anderson, Forrest (26-6-2, 20 KOs) hadn’t lost inside the distance since Gerald Washington (then 8-0) knocked him out in the second round of their August 2013 bout in Indio, California.

None of Anderson’s past five fights have lasted beyond the second round.

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Tagoe Withdraws From Keyshawn Davis Fight 4/8; Top Rank Seeks New Opponent

Keyshawn Davis needs a new opponent for his fight scheduled for April 8.

BS.com has learned that Emmanuel Tagoe has withdrawn from their 10-round lightweight bout. Davis-Tagoe would’ve opened an ESPN tripleheader from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Davis’ handlers are in the process of finding a new opponent for a fight that’ll take place six weeks from Saturday night on the Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino undercard. Matchmakers for Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. intend to find a durable foe for Davis, an ambitious prospect who wants to fight legitimate lightweight contenders sooner rather than later.

Ghana’s Tagoe (32-2, 15 KOs), who went the 12-round distance with heavy-handed Ryan Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) last April 9 at Alamodome in San Antonio, agreed to face Davis late in January. The 34-year-old Tagoe never signed a contract, though, and his team informed Top Rank recently that he will not go through with the fight for reasons that haven’t been disclosed to BS.com.

Davis (7-0, 5 KOs), a 2021 Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, wants a greater challenge than Mexican veteran Juan Carlos Burgos provided December 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The 23-year-old Davis dominated the durable Burgos (35-7-3, 21 KOs) in a 10-rounder ESPN aired that night. All three judges scored that bout a shutout for Davis, who won 80-72 on each card.

Though Davis didn’t become the first opponent to beat Burgos by knockout, he showed that he is more than ready for another step up in competition.

ESPN’s three-bout broadcast April 8 also will include hard-hitting heavyweight Jared Anderson. BS.com first reported Wednesday that Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, will battle George Arias (18-0, 7 KOs), of the Bronx, New York, in the 10-round co-feature of that telecast.

Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs), a Newark native who has won world titles in two weight classes, and Japan’s Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs) will meet in a 12-round WBC lightweight elimination match. The winner will become the WBC’s mandatory challenger for whomever emerges victorious when fully unified lightweight champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) faces three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) on May 20 at a venue to be determined.

[KiwiRider]

Love to watch Stevenson, and even though the calibre of this opponent is a little low, I'm still going to watch this one.
Real shame he has been so ducked, Boots will face the same in his attempts at a belt unfortunately.

[margaret thatcher]

im the exact opposite, i rate shak as high as anyone but it's hell getting through his fights. the guys that can have an opponent hugely outclassed yet still barely put their foot on the engine are

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Press Release | Anderson-Arias, Davis-Yigit Made Official

Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson has climbed the heavyweight rankings with his devastating knockout power. The 6’4, 240-pound wrecking ball will face fellow unbeaten George Arias in a 10-rounder Saturday, April 8, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Anderson-Arias will be the co-feature to the WBC lightweight title eliminator between Shakur Stevenson and Shuichiro Yoshino.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis will face his stiffest challenge in the 10-round lightweight televised opener against former world title challenger Anthony Yigit.

Stevenson-Yoshino, Anderson-Arias, and Davis-Yigit will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), a 23-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, has notched five consecutive second-round stoppages, including a demolition of the normally durable Jerry Forrest last December. Anderson received international headlines for his work as Tyson Fury’s chief sparring partner, but he’s now forging his own path as boxing’s most decorated young heavyweight.

Anderson said, “This is the kind of fight I’ve been waiting for, a big fight between two undefeated heavyweights. I’m excited to once again be fighting on the same card as Shakur Stevenson. Don’t miss this fight. April 8 is going to a special night in Newark.”

Arias (18-0, 7 KOs), a Dominican boxer-puncher, began his pro career in 2014 and has toppled seven unbeaten fighters in his ascension to contender status. Arias continued that trend in his previous two fights, defeating Cassius Chaney and Alante Green by split decision. The New York City resident will give up five inches and roughly 20 pounds to Anderson.

Arias said, “I’m excited for the opportunity to go to war with Jared Anderson, one of the most highly regarded heavyweights right now. I thank my team for helping me get to this position. I can’t wait to show my skills on such a big platform. On April 8, I will pull off the upset.”

Davis (7-0, 5 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, went 3-0 in the pro ranks before capturing a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and has scored four wins since, including a violent knockout over Omar Tienda at Prudential Center last year. In his most recent outing, the 23-year-old standout dominated former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos.

Davis said, “The Newark fans showed me so much love last time, and I can’t wait to give them another special performance. I’m going to make Yigit regret taking this fight. He’s been in the ring with some good fighters, but I’m on another level.”

Yigit (26-2-1, 10 KOs) is a Swedish contender who represented his homeland at the 2012 Olympics. The 31-year-old began his pro career the following year and scored wins over DeMarcus Corley and Sandor Martin before unsuccessfully challenging Ivan Baranchyk for the IBF junior welterweight title in 2018. Yigit bounced back with three victories before losing to Rolando Romero in July 2021. He is now settled as a lightweight and has knocked out his last two opponents.

Yigit said, “I'm excited to get back into the mix. Huge respect to Keyshawn for taking this fight, but he's young. Too young. He's fast, I'm fast. He's strong, I'm strong. He's an Olympian, I'm an Olympian. My edge is my experience. I'm going to use it.”

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Fight Week!!

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Fight Night!!